Manifestations: A Poem by Nathanael O’Reilly

Poetry / By / / 1 minute of reading
The northern lights over the volcanic eruption at Geldingadalir, Fagradalsfjall
Photo by Toby Elliott on Unsplash

Manifestations

I urge like a red lacquered
fingernail tapping a car
window, rat-tat-tat-ing, exclaiming
over there! faster than words

I erupt like Fagradalsfjall
ejecting lava, transforming landscape
blending fire with the northern lights
attracting crowds of photographers

I insist like mustard stains
on sky blue trousers, draw eyes
to upper thighs, inner seams
announce my unwanted presence

I blister like Irish skin
left too long in Australian
sun, swell, burst, ravage, create
carcinomas, scar and heal

About The Author

Nathanael O’Reilly is an Irish-Australian poet; he teaches creative writing at The University of Texas at Arlington. His eight collections include Boulevard (Beir Bua Press, 2021), (Un)belonging (Recent Work Press, 2020), BLUE (above/ground press, 2020), Preparations for Departure (UWAP, 2017) and Distance (Ginninderra Press, 2015). His poetry appears in over one hundred journals and anthologies published in fourteen countries, including Another Chicago Magazine, Anthropocene, Cordite Poetry Review, The Elevation Review, New World Writing, Mascara Literary Review, Ponder Review, Trasna, Westerly and Wisconsin Review. He is the poetry editor for Antipodes: A Global Journal of Australian/New Zealand Literature. Twitter: @nathanael_o | Website: https://www.nathanaeloreilly.net
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